Automobile bumper and clamp



Mar. 5, 1929. o. H, GOETZ AUTOMOBILE BUMPER mm Cult Original Filed Dec. 14, 1926 i 2 SheetS-Shoot R O 9 O E T R 3 5 3 4 V E m 2 N 7 2 2 O M 4 .2 I; 2 r v H i g R V W F f?fi% A c 6 v. 8 5 2 E 8 B 2 2 0 0 5 w 3 2 am 3 2 2 w 4 3 7 F 2 Mar. 5, 1929. o. H. so -:12- 1,703,878

AUTOIOBILE BUIPER AND GLAIP;

Original Filed Dec. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

4 OSCARHGOETL, 5611 BY 2 7 mmm\fx TTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

OSCAR H. GOETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY,

INC., A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER AND CLAMP.

Original application filed December 14, 1928, Serial No. 154,728.- Divided and this application filed September 10, 1928.

This invention relates to automobile bumpers, and more particularly to bumpers of the type commonly known as parallel bar or multi-bar bumpers, comprising several impact bars arrangedin superimposed vertical relation, spaced apart, and constituting an impact structure usually supported by one or more back bars or members adapted to be attached to the frame of an automobile, suitable clamping devices being used to hold the bumpers in assembled relation. An object of this invention is to provide an improved bumper of the above type, and also to provide improved'clamping means which will securely hold the parts of the bumper together, and which are inexpensive to manufacture, and present a pleasing appearance in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of clamp readily adaptable for use with different forms of bumpers of the above general type, and which embodies certain novel advantageous connecting and spacing means that are of utility regardless of the specific variations of structure which may be adopted to meet the requirements of particular installations.

The present application has been divided from my copending application Serial No. 154,726, filed December 14, 1926, in which are claimed generically clamps comprising front and rear plates bolted together to orm a secure holding device for the bars of the bumper, one of the plates having a boss or bosses adapted to extend between the bars, and serve as spacing means therefor, together with means to hold said plates and bars in assembled relation. A clear conception of the construction and further ob'ects of this invention may be had from the ollowing specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 discloses in plan view a bumper embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the bumper shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar section through of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows in plan View another form of bumper using a modified form of the invention. a

Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5.

Serial No. 304,881.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view through 77 of Fig. 5. I The bumper shown in.Figs. 1 and 2 is composed of a main bar 20, having its ends formed in loops, the continuations rearwardly of which are bent forwardly, as

shown, to a point in connection with the 3 comprises a metal front plate 25,-hav1ng lips 27 and bosses 28 between which the bars 20, 23 and- 24 are positloned. The bosses or lugs 28 are tapped to receive the bolts 30. A hole is drilled through the center of the front portions of bar 20, and registering holes through the ends 21 and 22 A rear plate 29, shaped as shown in Fig. 3, 1s grovided'with holessuitable to accommo ate bolts 30 and 31. Bolt 31 is passed through bar 20 at its ends 21 and 22, and thence through the back plate 29; bolts 30 serving to clamp the front plate 25 to back plate 29, embracing the bars.

The bars 23 and 24 are preferably 'oined at regions intermediate their ends an midposition by other clamps, such as that indicated in Fig. 1 by the numeral 26, which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. Clamp 26 is of somewhat similar construction to that already discussed, having a stamped front plate 25,'with lips 27 and a pair of bosses 28 for engagement with the bars 20, 23 and 24; the material difference being in the fact that only one bar is held at the center, therefore necessitatin a different shape for the rear plate 29, whlch may be of the shape illustrated.

The bum er shown in Fig. 5 uses a further mod1fied form of clamp. The main bar 35 is constructed in a manner similar to bar 20, with the exception that it is notdrawn forward and bolted into a clamp similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but has its ends bolted together at 33, thereby forming a straight attaching bar. The loop ends of v of said bar, of-a suitable diameter to receive bolt 31/ ing means such as disclosed in Fig. 6, at the point where the curvature .of bar no longer follows the line of bars 34 and 36, and

here a clamp 37 is used to hold the bars in vertical alignment. This clamp consists of a strip of steel having two grooved lugs. 38

and 39 (see Fig. 6) on its back portion, and

bolts to force said rear plate against said front plate thereby firmly holding said impact bars in rigid vertical alignment.

2. In an automobile bumper of the type described a clamp comprising a front plate with lips and bosses thereon, a rear hasp shape plate, said bosses being ta ped, said rear plate having a plurality of ho es therein of a diameter equal to the tapped holes in said bosses, said bosses being equal in length to three thicknesses of bumper bar and bolts the ends of which are bent to conform to for forcing said rear plate against said bars the shape and Width of the upper and lower bars 34 and 36. The clamp is slipped into place over the ends of the bars, and then riveted before the ends of the bars are bent into their final form.

The clamp shown in Fig. 7 consists of a front plate 25, constructed as hereinbefore described with the exception that the lips 27 are of sufiicient depth to accommodate two.

thicknesses of bumper bar such as the ends of bars 34 and 36 which are designated as 34- and 36 and the contiguous impact portion of each bar. The whole clamp is held together by bolts 30 in a manner similar .to that described above.

I claim:

1. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper bar constructed in a single horizontal plane having a front-impact portion with loop ends thereon and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of said loop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact-bars clamped in parallelism with the impact portion of said main bar by a clamp comprising a front plate with lips and bosses thereon for spacing and holding said bars in vertical alignment, a rear hasp shape plate having holes therein for accommodating bolts, said bosses being tapped to accommodate said when positioned between said lips and bosses of the front plate and one of said bolts passing through three thicknesses of bumper bar and said rear plate.

3. In an automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper bar constructed in a single horizontal plane having a front impact portion with loop ends thereon and a rear attaching bar portion formed by continuing said loop ends and bolting them together, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars supported bv and clamped to said main bar, said auxiliary bars being in parallelism with the impact portion and loop ends thereof and in the same vertical plane the free ends of said auxiliary bars being drawn forward at an angle to their respective impact portions and clamped, said clamp comprising a front plate having lips and bosses thereon and a rear hasp shape plate having a plurality of holes therein of a diameter equal to the holes tapped in said bosses, said lips and bosses being of a length equal to two thicknesses of said bumper bar and bolts for forcing said rear plate against said bars when in position between the lips and bosses of said front plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

OSCAR I-I. GOETZ. 

